Extended Reality (XR) technologies are increasingly adopted in contexts ranging from training and simulation to clinical rehabilitation, yet their effective deployment depends on addressing three interconnected challenges: ensuring the spatial safety of XR environments, sustaining user engagement, and guaranteeing the effectiveness of the tasks performed within these systems. This thesis investigates all three dimensions through a series of complementary studies spanning immersive and non-immersive XR systems. The first contribution addresses safety through the lens of spatial coherence between real and virtual environments. Two studies evaluate 3D reconstruction techniques based on photogrammetry as a foundation for blending physical and virtual spaces, examining their accuracy and suitability for XR applications where this can directly affect user safety and interaction reliability. The second contribution examines the role of visualization modality in shaping user experience and task performance. A study comparing immersive and non-immersive Virtual Reality in a cognitive-motor dual-task paradigm investigates how the choice of visualization modality affects usability, cognitive load, and sense of presence, informing the design of XR systems intended for motor training. The third contribution focuses on engagement and task effectiveness in the context of pediatric upper limb rehabilitation. The ActivePaws system is presented: a non-immersive exergame suite controlled by the Playcuff wearable orthosis. The exergame suite has been co-designed with pediatric therapists to deliver personalized, motivating, and clinically appropriate motor exercises to children with neuromotor impairments. A pilot evaluation conducted with typically developing children demonstrates that the system achieves high levels of engagement and usability, and that movement-based interaction translates effectively into meaningful gameplay across progressive difficulty levels, constituting a preparatory step toward clinical validation within the Fit for Medical Robotics project. Together, these contributions advance the understanding of how XR interactive environments can be designed and evaluated to be safe, engaging, and effective across diverse application domains.
Designing Interactive XR Environments: Safety, Engagement, and Task Effectiveness Across Immersive and Non-Immersive Systems
PIZZO, MARIANNA
2026-07-10
Abstract
Extended Reality (XR) technologies are increasingly adopted in contexts ranging from training and simulation to clinical rehabilitation, yet their effective deployment depends on addressing three interconnected challenges: ensuring the spatial safety of XR environments, sustaining user engagement, and guaranteeing the effectiveness of the tasks performed within these systems. This thesis investigates all three dimensions through a series of complementary studies spanning immersive and non-immersive XR systems. The first contribution addresses safety through the lens of spatial coherence between real and virtual environments. Two studies evaluate 3D reconstruction techniques based on photogrammetry as a foundation for blending physical and virtual spaces, examining their accuracy and suitability for XR applications where this can directly affect user safety and interaction reliability. The second contribution examines the role of visualization modality in shaping user experience and task performance. A study comparing immersive and non-immersive Virtual Reality in a cognitive-motor dual-task paradigm investigates how the choice of visualization modality affects usability, cognitive load, and sense of presence, informing the design of XR systems intended for motor training. The third contribution focuses on engagement and task effectiveness in the context of pediatric upper limb rehabilitation. The ActivePaws system is presented: a non-immersive exergame suite controlled by the Playcuff wearable orthosis. The exergame suite has been co-designed with pediatric therapists to deliver personalized, motivating, and clinically appropriate motor exercises to children with neuromotor impairments. A pilot evaluation conducted with typically developing children demonstrates that the system achieves high levels of engagement and usability, and that movement-based interaction translates effectively into meaningful gameplay across progressive difficulty levels, constituting a preparatory step toward clinical validation within the Fit for Medical Robotics project. Together, these contributions advance the understanding of how XR interactive environments can be designed and evaluated to be safe, engaging, and effective across diverse application domains.
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